This invention relates generally to light emitting devices. Specifically, the present invention concerns devices which emit light uniformly throughout a relatively large area. More specifically, the present invention relates to back lighting devices which may be particularly useful in conjunction with liquid crystal displays and the like.
The present invention provides an improvement in backlighting uniformity. Backlighting uniformity essentially refers to the elimination of hot spots, or areas of higher illumination relative to other areas of illumination. Although various techniques have been used to achieve uniformity, the present invention represents an improvement by using relatively simple devices. Resultingly, an inexpensive backlight can be provided using the teaching of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also achieves a uniform backlight without a significant sacrifice in overall illumination intensity. Thus, smaller and lower power lamps may be used to achieve a given level of illumination intensity.